Outline:
A Historic Moment for Lee Byung-hun
Lee Byung-hun is making history as the first Korean actor to be nominated for best actor, comedy or musical at the Golden Globes. His role in "No Other Choice" has brought him into the spotlight, and he shared his excitement about the nomination. According to Lee, he found out about the nomination from a friend while he was asleep in Korea. "I was sleeping. And my Korean friend texted me. That’s how I found out, but it was like dreaming, because I was sleeping! It was fantastic. And I was so happy but I’m trying to be satisfied only with the nomination, because acting is not about winning or losing. Everybody has their own value. So whatever it is I’m trying to enjoy that day, and it’s going to be my first experience at the Golden Globes. And I’m looking forward to seeing a lot of great movie makers and actor friends."
In addition to his Golden Globe nomination, Lee also earned a Gotham Awards nomination for "Choice," and he voices Gwi-ma in the Golden Globe-nominated "KPop Demon Hunters." His work on these projects has been widely recognized, showcasing his versatility as an actor.
Exploring the Role of Mansu
In Park Chan-wook’s "No Other Choice," Lee plays Mansu, a dedicated manager at a paper plant who gets laid off after 25 years of climbing the corporate ladder. This event puts his family and all that he’s worked for—his house, a good life for his wife and kids, and even cello lessons for his gifted daughter—in jeopardy. While the new owners of the paper plant say they have "no other choice" in shedding workers, Mansu goes on a mission to eliminate potential rivals to another job that he desperately needs and wants. However, his plans go pear-shaped in the most darkly comic way.
Fun fact: Lee’s projects "Squid Game," "KPop Demon Hunters," and "No Other Choice" were all nominated for Critics Choice Awards this year. "The last two, three years have been extremely fruitful and also busy for me, even just promoting these projects. So I think it’s been a surprise, but also really exciting," he says.
The Duality of Comedy and Drama
When asked what drew him to the character of Mansu, Lee explained that director Park’s past films don’t have as much comedy as "No Other Choice." "Of course, it has dark themes and depressing moments, but knowing that there was so much comedy in it, I knew I would be laughing a lot in the process of making the film, so I was really excited."
He also discussed how he modulates the comedy and drama in the film. "In the story, there is a lot of comedy that naturally arises from tragic moments, from dark, depressing moments. And I think from a third person’s point of view, from a distance, you could be laughing at Mansu. However, if you were Mansu himself, that would be a completely different reality. And I really like this aspect, this duality of the story, that the main character, it’s not comedy to him at all. He’s extremely desperate. However, in the process of the audience following his story, they can empathize with him, and again, that takes us in a darker, more depressing route, but then also sometimes you might be laughing at him. So there are these kinds of different emotional arcs that you go through."
Key to Unlocking Mansu
Lee shared insights into unlocking the character of Mansu. "I think when it comes to getting closer to my character, I wanted to mention the first scene in the film. You know, life kind of feels comfortable. They’re having this barbecue party at Mansu’s father’s house [that he] originally his father had to sell, but Mansu is able to repurchase it. And he brings his family together in an embrace, and he says, ‘Oh, I’ve achieved it all.’ And I think this is a moment where we see that Mansu is a character who really wants to protect his family. He is a patriarch. And also you kind of see that he might be – in a little bit of foreshadowing – overlooking the problems that they might have. And so you see with his mustache, parts of him that are a bit macho, and I think all these details really come together to create this character of Mansu, even in that very first scene, and allow the audience to start to get to know him."
Favorite Scenes and Future Projects
Lee also spoke about his favorite scenes in the film. "I think a lot of the audience members would pick the music room scene as sort of the signature scene of ‘No Other Choice.’ [Mansu’s first murder attempt, in which he disguises his gun with oven mitts and then collapses into an absurdly comic wrestling match that eventually turns deadly, but not the way you think.] I think the scene is extremely pivotal for the story, and of course, we get big laughs. However, personally speaking, I wanted to mention that first interview scene in the film. You see that Mansu is dealing with the light reflecting off the building on the other side (of him in an office as he is facing three interviewers), he has a seeping toothache he’s trying to resist. His leg is also shaking, and all while all this is happening, he has a sense of bravado about his resume that he’s trying to deliver to the interviewers. So there are a lot of complicated emotions and a mixture of emotions happening, as well as gestures. He is uncomfortable but also extremely desperate at the same time; he has to brag and have this smile on his face. So I really think this was a moment that shows Mansu’s desperation, and the scene is able to relay his point of view to the audience really well."
When asked about how he picks his projects, Lee said, "I think my one standard for when I am trying to decide my next project is whether that project sounds fun. And of course, this idea of fun is completely subjective. It could be a very depressing story that I still find fun reading and learning about or it could be very serious and deal with deep societal issues. And some people might say, Oh, what is the fun of that? But that might be really fun and interesting to me. So this is the most important factor. Of course, other factors go alongside that."
Up-and-Coming Directors and Favorite Movies
Lee also mentioned up-and-coming Korean directors that should be on everyone’s radar. "Yoon Ga-eun. She’s already done three to four features, and we’ve met multiple times. She directed ‘The Owner of the World,’ and I think she really has a unique point of view and brings something fresh into the cinematic universe."
When asked about his favorite movies from 2025, Lee said, "I liked ‘One Battle After Another’ and ‘Train Dreams.’ In ‘Train Dreams,’ there is this deep pain in that film that sort of continues from the beginning to the end. And it’s a little bit hard to put to words, but it’s almost as if a needle is kind of pricking you throughout the film. It’s not like that there’s a huge climax or it makes you sob necessarily, but it’s really like that consistency of that feeling was really notable to me."
Finally, when asked if he will work with director Park again, Lee responded, "Of course! I’d love to, I love to!"